Friday, May 25, 2007
Northern Voices
My office can be a strange place.This morning I was pretty knackered after travelling half way across the country to enlighten students from Edinburgh University about my topic of interest. That actually went pretty well, although my spoken English has suffered from not being used for a looooong time.
So anyway, there I was, knackered and just feeling a bit out of this world. As I enter the Reykjavik Academy, I heard seriously weird noises, like chanting and tribal drums in the distance.
My first thought was naturally, “bloody hell- I’ve gone mad, too much work has made me absolutely bonkers!” Fortunately, I wasn’t having a mental breakdown- because sure enough there was a little fellow there from Greenland, banging his drum and singing shaman-like songs out in the hall. His singing and drum-banging woke me up good and now I am fit as a fiddle and ready for more action.
The Greenland-man (now how do we say this in English- Greenlandic, Greenlandish or Greenish?) told a story about a friend who only had 3 dogs for his sled. He apparently had a taste for fat and furry puppies and couldn’t resist the temptation when the dogs became “ripe” for barbecuing and well, threw a few pups on the barbie.
So, although the Inuit (ahhhhh- there’s the right word) certainly managed to wake me up with his mesmerizing Inuit songs- he also managed to distract me from the lecture on sex, singing and drinking in the Highland, I am supposed to have ready by next weekend.
Now all I can think of is a fire, a puppy and Heinz barbecue sauce (NB! Not really mouth-watering stuff).
Darn!
Monday, May 07, 2007
The Complaint Corner
Complaining is good for the soul. At least that's what I think. My list is endless when it comes to politics so I'm not even going to go down that road.
However, there's one thing that bugs the hell out of me and that's when I'm watching TV and somebody enters the room when the film's almost over and starts asking annoying questions.
This happened to me this weekend- and in fact it happens most of the time. The mother unit is insufferable when it comes to TV.
So, I'm watching Elizabethtown on the Devil-Box and the film's almost over-
Enters mother-unit: "Who's that?"
Me: "Mum the film's almost over, I can't possibly tell you about the characters now, do you mind?"
Mother-unit:"That's the strangest funeral I've seen, is this how it's done in the US?"
Me: Mum, I dunno- never attended a funeral in the US- seriously, the film's almost finished."
Mother-unit: "Well people who vote for that dreadful Bush imbecile must be strange, I'm sure their funeral services are weird too!"
Me: "Yeah, yeah, mum, pleeeease stop talking and let me watch the film in peace!"
Mother-unit: "Does this take place in Virginia? I read a book on Virginia and have also been hearing about Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings...You know she was a slave and the Americans didn't acknowledge their relationship until 1998, through DNA testing. Incredible these people!"
Me: "No Mum, this one takes place in Kentucky. And what's up with your fascination with US presidents? Now, please go read a book or something and I'll holler when it's finished."
Phone calls for Mother-unit and although the phone's totally new and cordless, she decides to take the call on the couch right next to me. Endless stories about sick relatives and more than middle-aged friends behaving badly in terms of really old love interests; you know the kind of conversation you really don't want to listen to. Mother-unit hangs up the phone and continues asking about the film...just as the end credits roll across the screen.
Mother-unit: " Oh, is it finished? What a boring film- well I just came in here to say that I'm pretty tired and don't think that I'll be watching any telly tonight. Sweet dreams dahhhling!"
Me: "Gahhhhhh" (tearing hair from head).
Who ever said that watching TV was easy?
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Et tu?
Another year in my life has come and gone.It’s pretty amazing how the years pass by and the 365 days seem to fly away faster and faster, or maybe it’s the local wind here in Reykjavík that makes all the difference.
Now I am at the same age as that little gay fellow from the Oliver Stone film was when he passed away after conquering the known world. Gosh, I’ve got to pick up the pace if I am to do such things before next year hits me. I thought similar things when I turned 27; Janis, Jimi, Kurt and the fat guy from the other Oliver Stone movie had all written their “swan-songs” when they croaked at the measly age of two and seven.
However, this is the big one…this year must be a year of greatness if I am ever to reach these heights.
Then again, I could be flying a wee bit too high to compare myself to these peeps (I’ve got the Icarus complex if there ever was such a thing). So, I think I’ll just compare myself to me and try to enjoy this age even more than I enjoyed previous years.
The first thing was to get suckered into running for congress- for the Green party mind you- I’ve always been keen on green matters such as Kermit and the Hulk (see previous post).
Hell, there’s a lot of jerks out there and some or even many of them have been elected-as can be seen in the lethal wounds of the Icelandic wilderness.
Again I say "go green" and think happy thoughts about the future…who knows, my nation might at some point stop voting for greedy and corrupt wankers who give our banks to their similarly corrupt friends and then attack our mountains and rivers with heavy machinery to make aluminium for international companies who in return make tanks and such in order to "free" the Middle East.
But then again- we might be on the brink of another 4 years of the current government’s ongoing misuse of power… fingers x-ed that the peeps on this rock will vote green!
Peace
